hidden by the clouds

You're probably aware of tonight's "super moon" - one of those rare celestial events when the moon looks bigger and brighter, because it is passing closer to the Earth than usual.

I watched the moon rise over the Sandias from the roof of my house tonight, with part of my family (and our next door neighbors, who were out on their roof) - and it was beautiful. I'd been told the moon would be at its biggest and brightest around 9:30 - so after watching the moonrise, I went back inside, and planned to come back out 9:30-ish to catch another look.

And I couldn't see it. The moon had disappeared behind the clouds - all I could see was its glow.

Clouds. Really. Just happening to show up on the night of the super moon.

Then, as usual, I got to thinking...

It's kind of like the way our relationship with God goes sometimes, isn't it? We can "see" him for awhile - feel his presence, feel consoled in prayer, knowing he's near. Then, he "disappears behind the clouds," like the moon did tonight. Sometimes, we can still sense him a little bit - like that moonglow through the clouds - but other times, it seems like he's completely and totally gone. There's no way around it, that's an awful feeling.

That's not to say it isn't a good thing, though. As many, many saints have noted over time (St. John of the Cross!!! Dark Night of the Soul!!!!!), spiritual growth requires times of "darkness," when God seems hidden from us. Even more interesting, though, is that, also as many saints have noted, when we feel that God is hidden from us, it is then that he is actually closer than ever.

Kind of like that super moon tonight. Closer than ever, but hidden in the clouds.

Deo gratias. :-)

And a pic of the moon from a less cloudy night... earlier this week.